The Magic Word

July 24, 2010

As you stroll down the supermarket aisle, you are guaranteed to be distracted by a number of different products. Look a little bit closer and consider what they all have in common. I can guarantee you that a big chunk of those select items have a magic little word printed somewhere on the front of the aesthetically appealing box: NEW! When we, as consumers, see this exciting word touting products among the sea of supermarket shelves, something is triggered. Combine that with a tried and true favorite brand name and the chances that the product at hand will make it into your cart is about the same as that of a kid in a candy store walking out with some form of sugary goodness. Marketers love this part. They work extra hard to create a sleek and appealing design that will lure you in and stand out from among the many.

Have you ever stopped to consider all that goes into each and every product that is available to you on those grocery store shelves?For one, they all started out with the magic little word plastered across the packaging of choice. And before these products could be added to your kitchen arsenal, a network of food scientists and many other individuals collaboratively came together to make this product a reality. When you stop and truly think about that, it’s slightly overwhelming…no?!

I am a sucker for the word N. E. W. I am not sure if it is just because I write food reviews for www.iateapie.net and need more items to expose my discerning taste buds to… Or perhaps it has something to do with my collegiate food science studies and desire to someday work in the field of product development…adding more modern marvels to the sea of shelves (hopefully, ones that will catch your eye and jump in your cart!). Or maybe the word “new” simply evokes positivity in my mind. For one, the word new means that a product development team succeeded and I would be completely missing out if I did not give their carefully crafted creation a try. Also, “new” means that my taste buds have not yet experieneced the prospective deliciousness that awaits…and how could I deprive them of such a thing? Better yet, maybe I am simply intrigued and want to be one of the first people to tell you whether or not to run out and search for the magic little word and the product that accompanies it.

Picture this: You find a brand new product and are staring at the shelves, contemplating whether or not you need one more thing. What store are you standing in? Personally, I would probably be capable of looking up at the aisle marker and seeing a red bullseye…possibly a white dog with a red bullseye tattoo on his eye. Yea, for some reason Target has all of the connections in this town and gets hooked up with all things NEW before anyone else.

Think of this blog as the way that you think of NEW products. It’s new and exciting because you are not sure whether or not your first bite will leave you yearning for more or reaching for something else. I hope to discover new recipes, share my views on the inner workings of food and the science behind it, expose you all to the newest products on the market (all labels featured in this post will be reviewed soon!) and entertain you with any other random musings that I stumble upon. You never know what is going on within the inner workings of my brain. Come back frequently to find out!

[…] Whether it is 4:30 or 7:30, breakfast is the first thing on my mind when I pop out of bed. This morning I opened the freezer to find these Kashi Blueberry Waffles. Hmm, I wonder why I bought these?! Wait, there it is…that magic little word. […]

The Foodie Behind it All

I'm a college student with one year left of my undergraduate degree and I love food. I also love science, so my major of Food Science seems quite fitting. I am NOT a registered dietician or certified food expert. I have established this blog to simply share my love of food and science with you.
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Let me know at formulatingfoodie (AT) yahoo {dot} com.